Sunday, December 25, 2005

Wishing all a merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year. And Happy Birthday to Michelle!Jeff and I are having a quiet Christmas at home, and I'm finally getting some knitting done on his scarf. And Katie's scarf is half done now. (ok fabbos, you all have me so paranoid about apostrophes - does Katie get one for her scarf or not??????)

we have two lobsters for the pot this afternoon, then Jeff has football on his agenda.Then Daniel and Ashlee get here tomorrow. It'll be wonderful to have them here.seems awfully too quiet here.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Hanging are 3 of the side-to-side knit scarves that I've started calling my fabulous scarf - I didn't think when I started knitting the first one that it was all that spectacular, but everyone, and I mean everyone from my 18 yr old stepdaughter to my friends and mother who are in their 60's all love them and want one!Particulars:approx 200 yds mohair or solid yarn.same yardage Ironstone Paris Metallic as a strand-along to the solid.1 ball Rayon glitzy solid (I used Rowans Lurex double stranded in one, used Katia's Gatsby in 2, and an Ironstone something in another)2 balls Meunch's Cleo.Addi turbo size 8 needles with a 47" cable.cast on 250 - 280 stitches. Knit all rows, always changing color on a right side row. For many of the colors where I only had one row I had to slide the work back to the beginning again and knit another color in the same direction as I'd just knit.Balance the yarns so that there are 3 sets of 4 rows of the Cleo in the center, spaced by a row of the mohair stranded with the Paris Metalllic in between each set.In the purple one I bordered the outside with some Hana silk I had sitting around.

Knit Happenshas the Cleo on sale right now, and I'm torn between buying more of it to make more of these scarves, or moving on to other projects.

I now have to knit two hats, one for Mark and one for Daniel. I'm using this pattern. Last night I bought the yarn the pattern called for (what a concept) but didn't have the needles with me at knitting group to start on them - also picked up the cashmere for Jeff scarf - and again, didn't have the right needle to start that -I did have the yarn and the needle with me to take up my ISE scarf again - which is what I did.Progress made!

off today to sew - mostly client work. (who am I kidding, its all client work!)maybe tomorrow I'll get to the rest of the Christmas projects.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Did you notice that I got status bars up on the sidebar? (Many thanks to Jae for the source code.)Did you notice all those bright yellow finished 100% bars? That means folks, ends woven in, fringe cut and on if needed, in other words, really finished. Wooo hooo. I'm seeing an end to this gift knitting. note to self: don't decide you are not going to make Christmas gifts in August, then change your mind in November and decide that you will be making gifts. that's nuts!

Now, did you notice the all white bars? the 0% bars where nothing has been started? hmmm.Well, Mark was here a week ago and put in a request for a hat. Have the pattern chosen, and the yarn, now just have to start. And Jeff came home last week and told me that he decided he would let me knit him a grey cashmere scarf! reeeeallly? Actually, without an announcement like that I would be reluctant to do it. But, I've been thinking about it anyway, so immediately I had two patterns in front of him for consideration. He liked both.so, when I finish the last side-side scarf I've got on the needles right now I think I'm going to cast on, for my scientist husband whose work is in research, this scarf. A top contender for yarn is the Magrite from Karabella, or a charcoal grey 100% cashmere that Nancy at Myers House has in her back room that she showed me Wednesday night. It is a 4ply weight cashmere - very fine yarn that will knit up on small needles. Do I really want to knit a scarf on 3's or 4's?

Tonight we are going to see the St Louis Symphony along with the Symphony Chorus perform Handels Messiah. Tomorrow, another evening cocktail party, then we are in the home stretch. Jeff and I are having a quiet Christmas home alone, then Daniel and Ashlee are coming Dec 26. We've got hockey tickets, plans to go downtown to a blues club, and I'd like to take them over to see Logan Chiropractic College. Ashlee is planning to continue on to Chiropractic school after graduating from GVSU.Then the 30th we are leaving for Florida, to hop on a Royal Carribean Cruise Liner. I may not even take any knitting!

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Thanks to all who visit my blog and leave comments.I'm going to take this opportunity to answer some of the questions that have come up, a little late on some, sorry.

First, Leisel, the gloves are S. Charles Rittrato, and I LOVE this yarn. Not so soft, but lots of impact for the knit. I bought enough to make a scarf for me (what a concept!) after I knit the gloves, which are on hold right now due to holiday knitting. Too many things on the needles, feeling the pressure. Only mistake I made with this one is putting cables into the back of the hand that will extend down into the fingers. This yarn has so much going on that the cables are totally lost.

The 'lace' scarf that I just finished knitting is just 4 repeats of the Diamond Rib pattern from the 365 Knitting Stitches a Year perpetual calendar. The pattern appears on Aug 5. I used 2 full skeins of a long ago discontinued Anny Blatt yarn, 135 yds per skein, knit on size 10 Boye needles (going for the full vintage feel - cant' even believe it but those old Boye alum needles had the best tips for this project.

Julsey, the pattern for the Cabled Scarf for Lauren that is currently on the needles is by Nancy N and can be found herein pdf format with the chart. The pattern has been revised and the kinks worked out now so you can go ahead and knit it without reservations. Oh, but, I would very seriously consider changing those first and last 3 garter stitches in the scarf border to a K1, P1, K1 each row, to create a moss stitch. My edges are curling something fierce, and if it didnt' require ripping 20 inches of already knit scarf I would start over and change the border. Mine is being knit with a worsted weight on size 9 needles, and I did change those border cables to a C4 to narrow it down a bit.

Sorry Elizabeth, but mom looked at it and def wants that scarf, and Catherine, the woman whom I consult for and do the design work for (sewing) so ooohed and aahhhhed over it that I am using the rest of the Cleo that I had and the rest of the Anny Blatt mohair to make one for her.

Lainey, it is so exciting to watch you morph into the new project directions you are taking. When do I knit? almost Every AM between 6 and 7:30, and every evening after dinner until bed, and sometimes during the day if I'm not involved in work stuff. I've really stepped up the pace right now in order to get projects done that I didn't decide to knit for gifts until end of November - nothing like planning ahead.

Monday, December 05, 2005

I've been busy with gift knitting and have taken a hiatus from my regularly scheduled knitting.Last night I finished knitting the Lace scarf from the Anny Blatt starblitz. I think I'm going to crochet a loopy band of scallops along the ends, using the 2.5 yards of yarn I have left and string some freshwater pearls on the yarn, so that the scallops are beaded. This one's for Jacquie. I want to have it in the mail on Wednesday.In the lower corner of the pic you can barely see the next cabled incarnation of that Berger du Nord silkid. It is a Saxon braid bounded by twisting cables, v pretty. I started that one last night after binding off the lace.

Oh, and we have a tree! And what a Tree it is. I'm wreathed with smiles.